Okay, so 'Continuing the story' won by a landslide. But I have to say that Toxic will no longer be my priority. But I can make some conflict like nobody's business. Anyway. Enjoy!

"Um, Alice? Where are you taking me and why?" I sounded like a lost puppy.

"We're going shopping!" Alice's perfect features brightened.

"Why?" I elongated the word carefully.

"Well Bella, if you want to be considered for a part of this family then a new wardrobe is a must." Alice stated.

Edward just walked in. "She doesn't have to do anything Alice. She's been through enough already."

For some reason that made me mad. "All right Alice, when are we going shopping?" I turned to her with determination. I guess I was trying to show that I'm not as delicate as Edward thought.

Alice beamed, "We can go tomorrow! After school... and it's a Friday! So that means you can spend the night too! And then the next day-"

-"Alice, I think you better stop before you start planning her whole life."

She grumbled and walked out of the room we were in. But before she got too far she stuck her head in.

"Edward will pick you up tomorrow and then we can drive you straight to the mall." She smiled and then disappeared.

"So," Edward said slyly, "you like shopping?"

"Not really. But I want to start things off right with your family. And Alice seems easy to please. Some new clothes would be nice anyway." I stated and checked my watch. 9:49.

"I better go." I said to Edward and we walked towards the front door.

"Your not going to leave before you said good-bye Bella are you?" Esme said standing next to Carlisle.

"Oh, no." And I stumbled my way over and gave them a hug.

Esme whispered. "Thank you." In my ear.

"For what?"

"For completing Edward." That was all she said and then I hugged Carlisle.

"You'll be taken care of Bella. We're a family and that's what families do." He smiled at me and patted my hair before I went off to Edward again.

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The night past quickly enough. I fell asleep instantly only to be faced with nightmares.

They were about that night in Phoenix. I had started calling it the accident in Phoenix, but I knew that it wasn't an accident. I guess I could call it the experimentation in Phoenix. But that sounded hard. Well, it was harsh.

But the nightmares made me wake up with cold sweat running down my face. Just the thought of James and Dr. Malcolm made me shiver... but what scared me the most in my dreams was seeing Isaac. Deed, bleeding, but crying out to me.

I pushed the thought away as I munched on my cereal.

The doorbell rang and flew open to get it. I really needed Edward right now.

And there he was, standing there like my own personal lifeline.

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School went by fast. I hardly even noticed the people staring at Edward and me. Jessica tried to catch up to me before I left trig.

"So?..." She waited for an explanation. I knew what she meant but I didn't want to give in.

"So what?"

"So you and Edward?"

"What about us?"

"Come on Bella! So you're dating?"

"Huh, I guess so." I shrugged.

"Bella! I want details! How long has this been happening?"

"Um, since last night. When we were working on our science project."

"Oh my gosh! That's so cute! Holy cow! Has he kissed you?"

"Yup."

"Wow... Edward Cullen." Jessica sighed. If I weren't 8 vampire I wouldn't have noticed that she was salivating and barely kept from drooling.

She was standing so close right now that I really needed to get away from her.

I rolled my eyes and strolled out of the classroom only to be greeted by the best guy in the world.

I sat with the Cullen's at lunch. We hardly talked which was fine with me. But Edward kept asking me if I was hungry.

I kept saying no. But that was a half-truth. I was actually starving... but I wasn't hungry the way Edward thought I should be. I was thirsty.

We walked into Biology, glad that I didn't have to sit with a human. That was too tempting. I wouldn't bite them. But it would be a little embarrassing and everyone would think I was a freak.

I could feel the stares on my back as we sat together. But I didn't care. Nothing cared anymore except that I was with Edward.

That class passed and Edward persuaded me to skip gym today and head straight to Port Angeles.

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I have never realized how complicating shopping can get. I still don't know because I'm still in a blur as to what was happening. Even with my 8 vampire senses kicking in I still couldn't keep up with Alice.

We were in the Petite section now. At least I think we were. I glanced over at Edward who was sitting down, hand over mouth to keep from laughing at my confused look that seemed to be glued to my face.

"Oh, this would look great on you!" Alice held up a white shirt with yellow designs in it.

I was pretty good at this system now. Alice would say something looked great. I would nod and say 'Yeah it's perfect.' And then smile. It was a pretty good system. Though at the end of the day I still had no clue what Alice had bought for me.

After about six huge bags of clothing and a dent in Alice's credit card that probably looked more like an atom bomb later, we finally walked out of the small mall that Alice nearly bought out.

"Okay! On to the next one!" Alice smiled. I groaned inside my head. "Another mall? What is she thinking? I'm not Wonder Woman." – I would say something sarcastic or encouraging... But I got nothing. – "Wow, being an experiment, bitten by a vampire, attacked by one, losing my brother. And shopping is what has done me in. Edward was right. I've had enough already." – But when has life every given you what you wanted. -

When indeed?

So we walked into the bigger stores downtown and I huffed as Edward rubbed comforting circles into my back and shoulders.

"I can make her stop if you want me to." Edward whispered in my ear.

"Can you? I'm beginning to think that's an impossibility right now." I returned as we walked into a designer store I've never heard of.

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So after another carload of clothes and another atom bomb to Alice's credit card we started heading out of the mall.

"Excuse me, but I have to go to the bathroom." I lied. I just needed to get a breath.

Edward laughed and Alice scowled at him as I walked towards the woman's restroom.

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EPOV

I'm surprised she lasted this long. Poor Bella. I watched her closely as she made her way to the bathroom with surprisingly no tripping.

Alice was trying to cover up embarrassment with anger.

"Well, you made her come."

"I did not Alice. She's fine. Stop being like that. She's okay."

But in the area of my mind were other's thoughts and sights get received, I saw Alice slowly start thinking about a vision she was getting.

She didn't think about it all the way and I didn't know why she looked up to me with a stricken face.

"Bella." She quivered. Then I saw her vision. It was my life. But something was missing. Bella.

Bella was missing.

Next thing I knew I started crumbling.

"We have to find Bella. She just went to the bathroom right. We have to tell her, we have to warn her that something is going to happen to her," I whispered. But for some reason in my heart I already knew it was too late.

But then something weird happened. I didn't feel like finding Bella. I knew something horrible was happening but no matter how hard I tired I couldn't force myself to look for my Bella.

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[A/N Okay so how is that? I know it's shorter than I would like, but I just had to set up the next faze in the story. Please review.